During the 19th century,
religion in German did not retain the purity we like to think existed
after
the
Reformation.
There
was an age of "Rationalism", founded on the idea that man's reason was
the
safest
guide in everything.
This led again to the idea that man is saved by good works, because that
is
the reasonable thing
to believe.
Some of the people looking
for a better place in which to safeguard and promote their faith in
Jesus
as
the only way to
Heaven were the founders of our Missouri Synod who emigrated to
Missouri
in
1836.
Another family
was the Dicke family. Still more were some pioneers who settled in the
Town of
How,
Oconto County.
Peter H. Dicke became
interested in being a missionary to American after reading appeals from
the
Missouri
Synod Lutherans.
He studied theology in Nurnberg, then came to America and continued
studying
in Fort Wayne,
Indiana. Pastor Dicke served 5 years in Michigan, then in Mayville,
Wisconsin,
later in
Belle Plaine and Pella in Shawano County, and in 1874, he moved to Town
Washington,
near Cecil.
Late in 1875, William
and Johanna Bartz homesteaded a tract of land in Oconto County. In the
spring
of
1876, Johanna, carrying
their infant son, Franc, and with Marie, their four year old daughter,
trudging
at her heels,
walked some 25 miles along wilderness trails leading through the Indian
Reservation
to have
the child baptized by Rev. Dicke. When Pastor Dicke heard that there
were
a few
other
Lutheran families
near there, he said, "Now it is time that these people also have the
word
of
God
preached to them."
Not regularly, but faithfully,
and as often as possible, Pastor Dicke traveled by horseback to the Town
of
How. He held services
in the home of Herman Yakel, the oldest settler in the Town of How.
When Edward Suring settled
on the present Ruben Rakow farm, Pastor Dicke held a second service
in
their home. Besides
the Herman Yakels and Edward Surings, the attendants at these services
were:
Robert Yakel,
William Bartz and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Moewe, Carl Schroeder, and
Mrs.
Henry
Johnson.
It was several years
before our people were able to raise collections to pay even a part of
the expense
of
Pastor Dicke's trips
here.
His attitude was: "What
else could I expect? Had I not come to America for that very purpose,
to
be a
missionary?"
So, ten years passed,
but during those ten years other "missionaries" came, never asking for
contributions,
praising
good works, perverting the doctrine of the Lord's Supper. When our
forefathers
began to
realize that, unless the pure Gospel was preached as zealously as these
false
teachers
were working,
it would be lost entirely, they decided to organize a congregation, to
buy
land,
and to build
a church.
And so, according to
a deed from the Oconto Company, dated August 2, 1886, 40 acres, more or
less
according
to government
survey, was purchased approximately near the center of the Town of How.
The
price of the land
a mere (to us) $100.00, but in those days, when a family's cash income
for a year
might
not exceed $50.00,
it seemed astronomical.
Accurate records could
not be found, but a list of twenty men, who each contributed $5.00
seems
to
have
included:
William Buhrandt - Frederick
Hischke
Herman
Yakel - August
Ruch
William
Bartz - John
Pethke
Edward
Suring - John
Venzke
August
Schuettpelz
- Frederick Drewe
William
Schuettpelz
- Christian Hein
Ferdinand
Schuettpelz
- Herman Elfe
Martin
Schuettpelz
- Gustave Hischke
Christian
Zaddack -
Carl Kruschke
William
Schoessow -
August Buhrandt
Of these, William Buhrandt, August Ruch, and William Bartz were chosen as "elders".
During the winter of
1886, trees were felled on the newly acquired church property and
during
the
summer
of 1887 a church
was built and furnished by volunteer labor. Except for the small, cheap
windows,
no money was
required. In November it was formally dedicated to the glory of God
during
a
service
in charge of
Pastor Dicke, wherein Pastor Ebert of Shawano preached the sermon.
Pastor Dicke still served
our congregation while living in Town Washington; making the long
journeys
in buggy or
cutter, as the seasons passed. In 1892, Rev. John Huchthausen was
called
to
our
sister congregation
of Immanuel, Gillett, and also agreed to serve the congregation, as
well
as
other
newly-organized
congregations in Oconto County, as pastor Dicke was advancing in age and
had
other steadily
increasing responsibilities.
After the first wave
of immigration, at the end of which our congregation was formed, had
passed,
settlers
filtered in
more slowly, but rather steadily, notwithstanding. Whatever records
were
kept have
long
since been lost,
unfortunately for us, as they must have been records of heroic effort.
At least,
no
written records
survive from earlier than the beginning of the 1890's. The first
confirmation
class
entered
in the church
records now existing is the Class of 1895. But, beyond a doubt, the
first
regular
confirmation
ceremony
to be performed here took place seven years earlier, when the following
were
confirmed
by Pastor
Dicke: William Zaddack, Alvin Hischke, William Bartz, August A.
Schuettpelz,
Anna
Hein, and the
two Bertha Schuettpelzes.
In 1894, Pastor Huchthausen
received a call to Upper Michigan. He was succeeded as pastor in Gillett
by
Rev. F. Uplegger,
who also served St. John congregation. When Pastor Uplegger left
Gillett
for
Denmark
in 1899, plans
were begun to build a parsonage and call a resident pastor. Rev. Heike,
also
a
pastor of Immanuel,
served as vacancy pastor. When it was learned that Rev. Uplegger would
like
to
return to the United
States, St. John congregation extended a call and he accepted.
During the next four
years, our congregation prospered. A parsonage was constructed
according
to
a
plan drawn by Rev.
Uplegger, and many other houses in the community were patterned after
it.
Credit
for beginning
a systematic record of meetings and statistics of the congregation must
also go
to
Pastor Uplegger.
During his years here, discussion took place concerning the
construction
of a
new
church building.
In 1903, when Pastor Uplegger left us for the second time to accept a
call
to
Hamburg,
Germany, plans
were fairly definite to build a new brick church, and to arrange for the
regular
instruction
of the young people in religion and the German language. Such
instruction
had
been
given in the pastor's
home, some young people boarding with the pastor's family or a near-by
relative
during a few
months of the winter. Mrs. Uplegger assisted her husband in teaching
the
young
people.
Messers. Martin
Plass, David Larsen, and Jacob Pfeiffer also taught during this time.
In 1903, we extended
a call to Rev. A. C. Plass to be our second full time pastor for an
annual
salary of
$450.00
plus free rent
and firewood and an opportunity to do some farming on the side.
The plan for a new church,
submitted by architect Gruenhagen of Oshkosh, was approved in the
spring
of 1904, and
he was given a contract to supply the necessary carpentry, besides
supervising
the
general construction.
William Buhrandt undertook to supply all the required masonry,
bricklaying
and
building of the
foundation. What a blessing, for the third time, our 40 acre tract of
woodland
proved
to be! Stones
for the foundation and lumber for the old church, the parsonage, and
now
the
new
church, besides
quantities of firewood over the years and a large grove for the outside
services
and
picnics are all
products of our forefathers' foresight.
On November 13th, 1904,
the dedication took place. Pastors L. Schuetz and D. Markworth each
preached
a German sermon,
an English sermon was preached by Pastor L. Schmidtke of Chippewa
Falls,
the first English
sermon preached in our midst. (It seems Pastor Uplegger had preached an
occasional
Danish sermon
in Maple Valley and this English sermon was a gesture of friendship to
those
we had invited
to be our guests.)
The old log building
had been moved to the south-east corner of the land to make way for the
new
church
and it was now
used as a schoolhouse until the spring of 1913, although some classes
were
still
held in the pastor's
home. When Pastor Plass was called in 1903, it was specified that the
new
pastor
must be willing
to instruct three days a week from October until Palm Sunday, on which
Sunday
confirmation
services usually took place. For three terms, Pastor Plass appears to
have
taken
complete charge
of the school. In 1906, it was resolved to hire a lady teacher to teach
for a term
of
three months. The
amount the Pastor collected and paid to the teacher as salary was
$133.00.
After
several
years, the
term was expanded to five months; then six months became the rule until
1926.
Misses
Lydia Markworth,
Marie Schliebe, Mathilda Destinon, Magdalene Gilhoff and Anna List
taught
from
1906-1913.
A new brick schoolhouse
was built in 1913 at a cost almost as great as that of the church
erected
in
1904,
although it was
much smaller in size and much simpler in construction. Mr. Paul Jank, a
divinity
student,
was the first
instructor in the new school. Misses Ella Raasch and Ella Pagenkopf each
taught
two terms. Mr.
Harold Plass and Miss Gertrude Simon each taught one year, followed by
Miss
Martha
Struck, who
held the position from 1921-1925, then married Fred Hischke and became
a
permanent
member of
our congregation. Miss Esther Pahlow taught during the term 1925-1926.
St. John's German parochial
school, conducted in much the same manner as a "Volksschule" in
Germany
during the
latter half of the nineteenth century furnished instruction in Bible
stories,
Catechism,
and German
reading, writing and speaking. The school was wholly supported by the
congregation,
independent
of state regulations.
It was uncommon for
boys and girls at that time to continue formal education beyond the
eighth
grade.
After completing
the eighth grade in a public school, or frequently a year or two before
completing
it, our
young folks attended the parochial school, and thus gained their last
impression
of
formal
education in
religious surroundings. As the German language was almost exclusively
used
in
our
church, these two
years of education, coming at a most critical period of a child's life,
were of
great
benefit to them.
However, during and
after World War I, the German language was used less and less. Most
parents
at
this
time had been
born in America and received most of their education in English,
attending
parochial
school probably
two or three years at the most. Although the German instruction probably
made
a deep impression
on them, they could not expect their children to receive the same
benefit
from
it. Children reaching
school age during the War, and ever since, rarely learned enough German
to
understand much
of what they heard in church.
The increasing desire
for English church services eventually led Pastor Plass to preach
occasional
sermons
in English
during his last years here and to instruct children, when necessary, in
English.
In 1921, under the guidance
of Pastor Plass, a Ladies' Aid Society was organized, with 23 ladies as
charter
members, to
do missionary and welfare work within the congregation and the Missouri
Synod.
One of the Society's
purposes was to aid needy students preparing for the ministry. It also
helps
congregation
members at times of weddings and funerals by preparing meals. The
"Ladies
Aid
Potato
Pancake Supper",
held the last Sunday of October, has become an annual event looked
forward
to by all.
Some accomplishments through the years have been: refinishing the floor
of the
church,
buying tables,
chairs, dishes and a large stove for the church basement, extensive
remodeling
of the kitchen,
and donating generously to other congregation projects. The ladies make
many
quilts every year
for Lutheran World Relief, buy Bibles for the third grade pupils in our
school,
and
donate monthly
to the American Bible Society and to Marshall and Vanice Schultz, Bible
translators
in Africa.
There are 26 members at the present time.
Our congregation joined
Synod in January, 1926. At that time it was The Evangelical Lutheran
Synod
of
Missouri, Ohio,
and Other States, now it is our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod or LCMS.
Pastor Plass labored
among us for 23 years. He resigned in 1926 due to failing health.
Before
he left,
a
call was sent to
Rev. O. W. Schreiber, then pastor in Mellen, Wisconsin. Pastor
Schreiber
accepted
the
call and was installed
July 11, 1926.
From the wording of
his call, Pastor Schreiber had expected a parochial school where both
religious
and
secular subjects
were taught and which complied with state requirements in the secular
area.
He
had
accepted the call
mainly, he said, because we possessed such a school. And what did he
find
upon
his arrival? A
german school! "Well", suggested one of the board members, "why not
make
it a
Christian
Day School?"
So on that very occasion, despite numerous expenditures required almost
at
once,
our German school
changed into the type of school it is today.
Miss Emma Donath, later
Mrs. Hubert Scheer, was hired to teach for nine months (1926-1927), not
only
religion, but
all standard public school subjects as well, to all grades from first
to
eighth. The
pastor
instructed the
confirmation classes for two years before conformation and taught
German
to
those
pupils who wanted
to learn that language. This was integrated into the regular days'
classes.
Miss Clara Hasz taught
the next year (1927-1928) followed by Miss Dorothy Bergmann, who
remained
four
years, (1928-1932).
A male graduate of River Forest, Mr. E. E. Schmidtke, taught for three
years,
followed
by Mr. L.
Piotter and Mr. H. Mroch each teaching one year.
Thus, our children have
been receiving both religious and secular instruction in a Christian
atmosphere
throughout
their primary education and are ready to continue in a secondary school
as
soon
as they receive
their eighth grade diploma. There is, besides a saving of two whole
years,
a
skillful
combining
of education with religion that impresses on the children the necessity
of God's
word
daily as a part
of their training for life. This is of special importance when religion
plays as small
role
in the everyday
family life. Our eighth grade graduates going on to Suring High School
have
earned
a good reputation
for our school. They are by no means deficient in their secular
education.
During the summer of
1926, Pastor Schreiber led the young people, those between confirmation
and
marriage,
into organizing
St. John's Young People's Society. Miss Emma Donath, the teacher of our
day
school, was the
Society's first president. The aims of the Society were Bible Study,
making
improvements
within
the church, and supplying wholesome forms of recreation for the young
people
in
our congregation.
A noteworthy undertaking was the redecoration of the church interior in
1934. At
one
time, the society
was a member of the Walther League, the young peoples' organization of
the
LC-MS
and provided
a president of the North Wisconsin District of the Walther League, James
Schuettpelz.
Other improvements from
1926-1936 were the electrification of our church, school and parsonage,
excavation
and building
of a basement beneath the church for meetings, dinners and fellowship,
improvement
of the
heating systems in church, school and pastor's residence, complete
renovation
and
beautiful redecoration
of the interior of the church by the Y.P.S., and the fixing of a gold
cross
in
place
of a wrought
iron spire on the steeple.
The English language
rose to occupy an equal status with the German. In 1933, a Sunday
School
was
begun
with an enrollment
of 70 children. An adult Bible Class was also begun ant taught by the
Pastor.
On June 7, 1936, our
congregation celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Rev. Uplegger
returned
from his
duties
among the Apache
Indians in Arizona to preach a German sermon in the morning service.
Rev.
Frank
Hischke, up until
1936, the only pastor our congregation had produced, and at that time a
pastor
for deaf-mutes
in St. Louis, conducted an afternoon service in English. Another English
service
was held in
the evening with Rev. H. Paul Westmeyer, pastor of our sister
congregation
in
Suring,
preaching the
sermon.
In February, 1937, a
motion was passed in the congregational meeting "that Rev. Schreiber be
permitted
to take a
more active part in the R.E.A. temporarily, if a helper can be provided
to take his
place
in the congregation,
when necessary." Although the buildings on the church property were
serviced
by the Wisconsin
Public Service, establishing a Rural Electrification Co-operative in
Oconto
County
benefitted many
of our rural members and, eventually, the congregation buildings were
also
joined
to the Co-op,
giving us cheaper current.
In 1937, Mr. Clarence
Radl of New Ulm, Minnesota, answered our call to become teacher of our
Christian
Day School.
During his tenure here, her married a daughter of our congregation,
Elsie
Schuettpelz
who had
been a public school teacher. She loved teaching and took charge of the
lower
grades
for her husband
without any extra expense to the congregation. Our enrollment almost
doubled
in a few years.
Because we now had a
married teacher, a home had to be provided. When Mr. &. Mrs.
Radl moved
to
Menominee,
Wisconsin,
in 1945, we extended a call to Mr. F. C. Groth of New Orleans. Mr.
Groth
had
been
a missionary in
Brazil early in his career. He was an excellent organist.
The old reed organ,
having outlived its usefulness in leading a large congregation in song,
was
replaced
by a new two-manual
pipe organ, built in our church by Lee Stoll of Oshkosh in 1946. Mr.
Bunjes,
of Wausau,
served as our consultant.
Mrs. Groth also assisted
her husband and was paid a small salary. When she retired because of ill
health
in 1952, Irene
Rakow was engaged to take over the lower grades, but fell victim to a
polio
attack
just before
school started. Miss Norma Natzke of Wayside was persuaded to fill in
until
January
when Miss Rakow
and Miss Ruth Hischke took over. After that Irene taught for two years.
During World War II,
28 men and two ladies from our congregation served in the Armed Forces.
Two
men
lost their lives,
Wesley Schumann (Schuettpelz) and Harold Stuewer.
In the early forties,
an international women's organization was begun in the Lutheran
Church-Missouri
Synod,
having Missionary Inspiration, Missionary Education, and Missionary
Service
as its goals.
Originally, our Ladies' Aid Society joined as a whole, devoting one
meeting
every
four
months to the
Lutheran Women's Missionary League. But some members of the Ladies' Aid
did
not
care to participate
in the LWML projects and some ladies of the congregation wanted to be
members
of the LWML
without belonging to the Ladies' Aid, so the societies separated. There
were
12
charter members
and now are 22. We have sent numerous packages to Germany, and did some
sewing
for needy children
after World War II. We usually send money as a Christmas gift to a
missionary's
wife.
We have our "mite boxes", the contents of which are collected every
three
months
and
sent to aid in
District and International Projects. We have a fall and spring Zone
Rally,
besides a
District
and International
convention in alternating years, and a Retreat every year at Camp
Luther.
In 1952, the school
received extensive remodeling, providing a better room for the primary
grades.
Indoor
toilets were
installed, probably the first such improvement to any rural school in
Oconto
County.
A school dedication
service was held on the second Sunday in September, 1952.
Also in 1952, we sponsored
some German families displaced during World War II. A house near the
church
was refurbished
for them. The first family stayed only a short time as they had
relatives
in
Illinois
and soon moved
there. The second family prospered, bought a farm, and some members of
it
are
still members of
our congregation.
In 1937, divine services
were conducted both in German and in English. Over the years, less
German
was
being spoken and
fewer people could understand it. In 1953, one German service was held
in the
morning
of the first
Sunday each month with an English service in the evening. In December,
1955,
there
was a special
motion passed to have a German service on Second Christmas Day. There
was
usually
a German service
on New Year's Day and Easter Monday at that time also.
Mr. Groth having accepted
a call in November 1954 to Manawa, Wisconsin, we called Mr. Robert
Nehrig
from Nebraska.
He taught from January, 1955, to the summer of 1957 when he moved to
Michigan.
Miss Helen
Wenger was our primary teacher for almost two years, 1955-1957, Mrs.
Harold
Bartz
finishing the
spring term in 1957. Miss Wenger became Mrs. Roland Hischke in 1956. A
graduate
of River Forest
Teachers College in Illinois, Mr. Even Schiller, taught for one year
and
in
1958,
Miss Regine Haendschke
began a two year term. Miss Wenger and Miss Haendschke were both
native
Wisconsinites,
Miss Wenger coming from Wisconsin Rapids and Miss Haendschke from
Hortonville.
In 1957-58,
a congregation member who had been a public school teacher, Mrs. Karl
Marcheske,
taught the
upper grades, although Mr. Schiller was principal. In 1958, Mr. Larry
Scheuerlein
became
principal and teacher of the upper grades. Her was succeeded in 1960 by
Mr.
Harold
Krueger and
Miss Haendschke was followed by Miss Beverly Zahrt of Wausau. Miss Zahrt
taught
for two years,
1960-62. Miss Pauline Becker of Ontario, Canada then taught two years
1962-64,
as
did Miss Hilda McClone
from White Clay Lake 1964-1966, all teaching the primary grades while
Mr.
Krueger
taught the
upper grades.
In January, 1954, a
redecoration of the church was discussed but only the ceiling was
replaced.
Before
a new pastor
arrived in 1956, the parsonage was completely renovated.
Pastor Schreiber, after
serving faithfully for 30 years, tendered his resignation in April,
1956.
He
remained
in Hayes and
a member of our congregation until his death, May 8, 1968. His beloved
wife,
who
presided over the
parsonage for 30 years, preceded him in death March 6, 1963.
While Rev. Westphal,
of Gillett, served as vacancy pastor, calls for a pastor were extended
and
returned
until, after
receiving the call twice, Rev. Wendling from Auburndale accepted and was
installed
Sept. 15,
1957.
On October 20, 1957,
it was voted to have men and women receive communion at the same time.
The
old
German custom of
men and women each occupying the benches on separate sides of the church
sanctuary
had gradually
been discarded and now whole families could partake of the Lord's Supper
together.
It was decided to celebrate
the 75th anniversary of our congregation on Sept. 17, 1961. Pastor
Schreiber
and Pastor
Waldemar Hischke preached, the ladies served dinner and all confirmands
from
1950
on were specially
invited. At this time, our congregation numbered approximately 515
baptized
members,
340 communicants,
and 105 voting members.
A Parent-Teacher League
was formed as an auxiliary of our school in 1961 under the direction of
Mr.
Krueger.
Topics pertaining
to our school curricula are presented and discussed at the meetings. The
League
fosters closer
home-school-church relations as well as providing for needs of the
school
not
met
by the congregation
budget. It has purchased science equipment, an FM radio and record
player,
a
TV, a vacuum cleaner,
and recently, a computer to bring our children into the modern age of
computers.
The mothers
in the P.T.L. furnish a hot lunch for the school children every
Wednesday
noon
through arrangements
made at P.T.L. meetings.
In May, 1962, a cemetery
association was formed to take care of the church cemetery. It was hoped
the
interest from money
donated to the cemetery fund will eventually provide for the upkeep of
the
cemetery.
In 1963, a lighted cross
was added to the steeple to proclaim to the community the foundation of
our
faith.
Rev. Wendling received
a call to Emmaus Lutheran Church at Waupaca in November, 1962.
Regretfully,
we released
him, but asked him to stay until after confirmation. On March 1, 1963 a
call
was
sent to Rev. William
Chellew. He accepted and was installed on May 5, 1963.
The matter of renovating
our church building was again discussed. A committee consisting of Rev.
Chellew,
Theodore Adams,
Conrad Bartz, James Brauer, Elmer Gardebrecht, Martin Hischke, Alfred
Schuettpelz
and Robert
Schuettpelz was elected. The architect engaged was John Wolf of Shawano,
the
general contractors
were Felts Construction Company and the plumbing, heating and electrical
work
was done by Pulcifer
Hardware. Altogether the project cost approximately $65,000.00.
The sanctuary was completely
repainted, new lighting fixtures installed, the stained glass windows in
the
chancel and the
old altar were removed and a modern altar backed by a large wooden cross
installed,
the front
of the church and the basement were enlarged for the addition of rest
rooms
below
and
a large narthex
on the main floor, thus eliminating the outside steps. The Walther
League
bought
new
carpeting for the
chancel and the aisles. New flooring was also put in the basement. Some
current
papers were
added to the box in the cornerstone of the church.
A rededication of the
church was observed on May 9, 1965, with two services and a noon meal.
Pastor
Goetz, president
of the North Wisconsin District, preached in the morning service and
Rev.
Wendling
in the afternoon.
All former confirmands were invited and a Dedication-Anniversary booklet
(1964
was the 60th
anniversary of the church building) was printed.
During 1966, midsummer
Mission Festivals were replaced by two special mission emphasis
services,
in
spring and in fall,
one to be followed by a pot-luck dinner in the church basement. The
services
and
dinner in the grove
north of the school had already been replaced by services in church.
Also
this
year we began
Student Aid door offerings as we voted to participate in the Lutheran
Laymen's
League
efforts to help
students become pastors and teachers by attending Synod's colleges and
seminaries.
That autumn, 1966, Miss
Carolyn Schuette became our primary teacher. Mr. Krueger asked for his
release
in November,
1966, and was succeeded in the New Year by Mr. Ron Wunder of Milwaukee.
A $665.00 sound system
for our church was purchased in October, 1967, from A.B. Communications
Service,
Inc. of Green
Bay.
Over the years we have,
at various times, helped proclaim the Gospel over the radio stations
WOCO,
Oconto,
and WTCH, Shawano.
Mr. Wunder stayed only
a year and a half. In 1968, Mr. Terry Otto answered our call for a
principal
and
upper
grade teacher
and Miss Kathleen Okerland became primary teacher. Miss Okerland taught
from
1968-
1971 and then
married Wilmer Schuettpelz. Miss Anita Ford followed her and taught
primary
grades
for one year.
Mr. Otto resigned in 1972 and Mr. David Schlicker took his place. Miss
Ford's
successor
was Miss
Charlotte Mensing who taught from September, 1972 until April, 1975,
when,
having
married Frank
Hoerth, they moved to Minnesota. Mrs. Esther Schlicker finished the
term.
The teacherage was extensively
remodeled and enlarged during 1973. The committee overseeing this
project
consisted of
Theodore Adams, James Brauer, and Richard Nelson. A recreation court was
marked
off and paved,
between the school and the teacherage.
A tract of one and one
half acre of land was purchased south of the church and Zipple
Construction
Co.
donated $575.00
worth of work to make a fine new ball diamond and a larger parking lot
for
church
goers. Later,
in 1983, this was black-topped to increase its durability at a cost of
$9200.00
In the spring of 1973,
Rev. Chellew accepted a call to West Branch, Michigan, and we again,
with
the
Lord's
guidance, found
a faithful shepherd in Rev. Floyd Gogolin from Wisconsin Rapids. The
members
of the Gogolin
family have endeared themselves to the members of the congregation.
A set of 23 chimes was
added to the organ at a cost of $1990.00 in 1976. There is still an
"Organ
Fund"
growing through
memorials and donations to eventually add more pipes to the organ. A
small
electric
organ was
purchased for the church basement by the Ladies' Aid that same year.
The congregation started
planning to relocate a Vietnamese or Laotian family in 1975. In 1979, a
family
was sent to
us from Laos, but later moved to Sheboygan where they had relatives. In
October,
1980,
the $173.00 remaining
in our Refugee Fund was forwarded to the Lutheran Immigration and
Refugee
Service.
Other things accomplished
between 1979 and the present were: insulating the parsonage, replacing
the
flat roof on the
school addition with a pitched roof, and drilling new wells at the
school
and at the
parsonage.
In May, 1980, the congregation
decided to add a third teacher to the parochial school staff. Miss
Nancy
Schuette, primary
teacher since September, 1975, retained the first three grades and Miss
Janet
Homp taught grades
four and five. Miss Schuette resigned in January, 1983 to become Mrs.
David
Hischke and Mrs.
Susan Tews finished the year. Miss Homp became Mrs. Roger Moede and
both
Mrs. Hischke and
Mrs. Moede are still members of St. John.
Mr. Schlicker received
a call to Readlyn, Iowa, in 1981, and accepted. Mr. James Tews was
called
as
St.
John's School teacher
and principal and accepted the call. He taught from 1981-1985 when he
left
for
a position in Michigan.
In 1983, Miss Mary Diercks became teacher of the intermediate grades and
Miss
Carol Spratz of
the primary, including children of kindergarten age. In September,
1985,
Mrs.
Wanda
Jahn agreed to
teach grades six through eight and Mary Diercks, now Mary Heimerl,
became
principal.
A lovely painting of
the church and large photographs of all of our former (and the present)
pastors
were
placed in the
entry of the church by Mrs. Adele Schuettpelz.
One of our younger members,
Miss Beth Rakow, spent 6 weeks in Brazil last summer helping to build
a
chapel in a retreat
center.
A small group of women
serve as volunteer "saleswomen" in Bethesda Thrift Store in Green Bay
and
the
Lutheran Children's
Friend Society Thrift Store in Shawano one day every month.
The last few years have
been devoid of any major problems or activities in our congregation. The
enlargement
of our
financial scope has been from the $100.00 first pledged by our charter
members
to
an annual budget
of $117,000. $12,500 is remitted for extending God's kingdom and
supporting
colleges
and seminaries
to the North Wisconsin-Upper Michigan District and the Missouri Synod
administration
in St.
Louis, Missouri.
Our congregation now
numbers approximately 89 voting, 319 communicant and 414 baptized
members.
St. John congregation
produced five pastors: Frank Hischke, Arnold Rakow, president of the
Lutheran
Church in
England, Waldemar Hischke in St. Louis, Missouri, Roland Hischke in
Cedar
Rapids,
Iowa, and Roland
Rakow in Colby, Wisconsin.
Ruby Rakow is the wife
of a missionary and Bible translator in Africa. Christian Day School
teachers
originating
from St.
John are: Mrs. Elsie (Schuettpelz) Radl, Mrs. Ruth (Hischke) Taylor,
Mrs.
Ruby
(Rakow)
Bruns, Mrs.
Irene (Rakow) Cudworth, Mrs. Jane (Marcheske) Hanson, Mrs. Alice (Rakow)
Bahn,
Mrs. Yvonne (Schuettpelz)
Wilz, Mrs. Eunice (Tuschy) Loomans, Mrs. Donna (Manthei) Gerndt,
and
Miss Christine
Gogolin.